Report of the study group on marine pollutants /

In order to allow its parent to which any one contaminant elicits adverse effects committee, MEQ, time to re-align its Action Plan depends on the sensitivity of the organism in with PICES’ integrative science program, FUTURE, question and the concentration of the contaminant in and for the SG-MP to follow suit for making its habitat. [...] This report The use, release, and/or disposal of approximately summarizes the discussions carried out by the SG- 100,000 chemicals on the global market has direct MP in support of its Terms of Reference (Appendix implications for the health of the world’s oceans 8.1) during 2011–2013. [...] Some of the ‘hot topics’ pertaining to marine While monitoring of specific contaminants entering pollution in the North Pacific Ocean include: the ocean typically reflects the need to assess the • Long-range transport and deposition of atmospheric adequacy of regulations or compliance with discharge pollutants, permits, research tends to be carried out by scientists • Catastrophic and episodic pol [...] Nutrients, especially nitrogen Pacific Rim, excess amounts of nitrogen and and phosphorus, are the most important items for the phosphorus are the main cause of the poor health of regular monitoring program, and shellfish toxins the oceans, e.g., eutrophication or algal blooms. [...] MP members reviewed some of the indicator Recent studies have made effective use of mussels approaches that are being used in some countries, and other shellfish to show temporal trends of heavy but could also be applied more broadly in support of metals in coastal and open waters of the Northwest data sharing in PICES.